Spain came from behind with three goals in 10 first-half minutes then survived a late France fightback and extra time to seal their summer of international football glory with Olympic gold.
After the men’s senior team lifted the European Championships in July, their U-23 side suggested another generation of winners is ready to follow with their own victory in a dramatic final at Parc des Princes. It was the highest-scoring men’s soccer gold medal match since 1912.
Barcelona star Fermin Lopez grabbed a brace and then Villarreal’s Alex Baena scored a fine free-kick in their lightning-quick response to trailing through Enzo Millot’s 10th-minute opener for Thierry Henry’s previously unbeaten outfit.
France had shown their own ability to battle through adversity in their semi-final, overcoming Egypt after the shock of conceding first, and they did it again on Friday evening despite being thwarted several times by Spain’s goalkeeper Arnau Tenas, who plays club football in Paris for PSG.
Tenas could not stop Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty in added time, though, which made it 3-3, after sub Maghnes Akliouche had been held in the area. The Monaco midfielder had already pulled a goal back for Les Bleus, and when a VAR review showed Spain’s Benat Turrientes had fouled him, Mateta drilled in the spot-kick and the drama of extra time ensued.
Santi Denia’s team showed their own resilience though by re-taking the lead in the first half of that nail-biting extra time, through another substitute Sergio Camello. Rayo Vallecano’s Camello put a last flourish on the scoreline to make it 5-3 for Spain at the very last gasp, latching onto a long and accurate kick from goalkeeper Tenas.
Spain had long since taken off their potent duo of Lopez and Baena, the latter La Liga’s joint top goal creator last season, but were grateful for the decisive saves of Tenas as well as that last assist.
The graduate of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, who joined PSG last summer, had got it horribly wrong in their first-half when he misjudged Millot’s first-time left-footed shot after meek defending, the strike confounding the 23-year-old goalkeeper.
But he atoned in style with two sensational saves to deny Crystal Palace striker Mateta and midfielder Kouadio Kone as France pushed hard in the second half.
Urged on by the Paris crowd the hosts cut the deficit on 79 minutes when substitute Maghnes Akliouche got the slightest touch to Michael Olise’s free-kick and the ball spun into the net.
It was Bayern Munich man Olise’s fourth assist of the tournament, and he led the French revival with typical energy and skill.
Monaco midfielder Akliouche would play a decisive part again when he was held by Turrientes in the box as a corner came in during added time. VAR checked the incident and eventually, Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti pointed to the spot. With the pressure firmly on, Mateta drilled the ball into the corner as Parc des Princes erupted.
Turrientes then struck the crossbar with France caught upfield in the seventh-minute of added time.
In extra-time Henry’s men did not give up despite tired legs, responding to Henry’s dynamic presence in the technical area.
But they could not find another way back and it was Spain whose golden summer continued.
(Photo by PASCAL GUYOT/AFP via Getty Images)
“A summer for the history books”
Analysis by The Athletic’s Pol Ballus
The last time a Spain team won an Olympic final in any discipline was in Atlanta 1996, with the water polo men’s team getting the gold medal.
They had lost every final in every sport since then – up until the 2024 men’s football team stepped into the Parc Des Princes.
Spain won the competition despite leaving out their two brightest young stars in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, who shone at Euro 2024 and were both eligible to play. But this is somehow Spain’s biggest success – not relying on individual names but in their collective approach.
This wasn’t a Spain team as dominant as the one that won Euro 2024, but chemistry built among a group of footballers who had played together for a long time in youth ranks.
That, combined with individuals rising up at the right time, steered them to Olympic gold.
It will go down as the tournament of Fermin Lopez, who scored six goals and delivered two assists in six games. Two years ago, he could not even earn a spot at Barcelona’s second team. Alex Baena became the team’s midfield general. The 17-year-old Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsi became the youngest footballer to ever win a gold medal.
The big names were there in a well-fought final, but it felt a bit like destiny to see the team’s back-up striker score the vital goals to win them the title.
As Mikel Oyarzabal did in the Euro 2024 final against England, Sergio Camello rose to the occasion in Paris in extra-time, just when Spain seemed lost.
This has been a summer for the history books.
